Washing machine



@ct. El, 1960 J. DELOS WASHING MACHINE Filed July 2a, 1957 I. a n

U i ed States Patent O c WASHING MACHINE Filed July 23, 1957, Ser. No. 673,650 Claims priority, application France July 23, 1956 2 Claims. 01. 68-28) The'present invention relates to washing machines and particularly to machines for washing clothes, fabrics, etc. herein for convenience referred to as linens.

It is an .object of the present invention to provide an improved washing machine having an eflicientand effective washing action. The washing machine in accordance with the present invention comprises a tank adapted to contain a mass of water. Agitator means is located in a central portion of the tank and is received in a casing having a cylindrical portion surrounding the periphery of the agitator. The agitator means and the associated casing cooperate to produce in the mass of water a plurality of currents, namely (1) a current generated by centrifugal action of the agitator and directed approximately at right angles to the axis of rotation of the agitator, (2) a current produced by blades on the rear face of the agitator and directed by the cylindrical portion of said casing to flow in a direction approximately parallel to the axis of the rotor and, hence, approximately perpendicular to the first current and (3) a current induced by the action of the second current and flowing in a space im- 2,955,451 I Patented Oct. 11, 1960 housing along the arrow F The liquid which has entered the housing is driven centrifugally by the paddles 10 along the flared portions 7 and 12 of the'housing, escapes through the longitudinal passage 13, between the periphery of the stirring element 3 and the cylindrical portion 8 of said housing. The rear paddles thus create a current F 5 substantially perpendicular to the current F created by the front paddles. The current F further induces the flow of the current F in the space immediately surrounding the cylindrical portion 8 of the casing. The result is a turning over ofthe clothes and an excellent washing thereof.

The shaft 4'may be carried by ball bearings 14 and 15 arranged insidea casing 16 to which the basket17 is attached. 'The casing 16 is itself mounted for rotation with the, basket 17, owing to the ball bearings 18 and 19 mediately outside the cylindrical portion of the casing in a direction approximately parallel to that of the second current. The current thus induced augments the action of the other currents, all of which act conjointly to produce a swirling movement in the water filling the tank of the washing machine so as to agitate the linen therein and produce an effective and efficient washing action.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention a rotatable perforate basket is provided inside the tank of the washing machine and the agitator and associated casing are located in a central portion of the basket. Means is provided for rotating the basket and the agitator independently of one another.

The appended drawing shows, by way of example, one form of embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 1 is a View in section of the machine.

Figure 2 is a view, on a larger scale, of the control mechanism for the stirring element itself and for the casing which surrounds it and illustrates a modification.

The washing machine represented in Figure 1 comprises a tank 1, closed by a lid 2. Inside that tank and about one third of the distance separating its two lateral walls there is a stirring element 3 capable of being driven in rotation, with its axle 4, through the pulley 5. This axle is protected by a housing 6 which flares out at its front part 7 so as to comprise a substantially cylindrical portion 8 surrounding closely the stirring element 3 and terminating in a free lip portion 8a.

Said stirring element comprises paddles 9 on its front face, and paddles 10 on its rear face; said paddles may, if desired, be symmetrical.

The front paddles 8 cause centrifugal currents F in a manner known per se. The rear paddles 10 suck in the liquid contained in the rear portion of the tank, along the arrow F a portion of which F goes through the perforations 11 provided to that efiect in the portions 6 and 7 of the housing, while another portion follows said on one side, 20 and 21 on the other side, owing to which the machine allows not only the washing but also the drying of the clothes. Sealing joints 25 and 26 protect said bearings. f

The driving in rotation of the basket 17 may be ob tained by a pulley 22 on a shaft 23 arranged on the side opposite the pulley 5 and the shaft 4 driving the stirring element 3 as illustrated in Fig. l. The drive may also be entirely on the same side by a pulley '24 keyed on the casing 16 to drive the basket as illustrated in Fig. 2.

The basket 17 has, preferably, a circular cross section concentric with the shafts 4 and 23. l

'It is found that the washing is improved by giving angle a'made by the outer surface of the basket with the end remote from the stirring element 3, a value slightly less than It should be understood further, that the embodiment of the invention which has been described above with reference to the appended drawing, has been given only by way of indication and not of limitation, and that numerous modifications may be made without departing pump may be driven by the same motor as the stirring element and may possibly be in one piece therewith. The perforations 11 and the longitudinal passage may be asymmetrical and any other means may be provided for increasing the eddying of the liquid around the tank. It has been indicated that the stirring element is placed in the central portion of the tank but of course it can be moved more or less upwards or downwards, frontward's or rearwards, and sideways also.

What I claim is:

1. A washing machine comprising a tank adapted to contain a mass of water, a relatively long substantially horizontal shaft extending through one of the walls of said tank, means rotatably driving said shaft, a discshaped agitator secured on the inner end of said shaft and spaced a substantial distance inwardly from said wall, a casing coaxial with said shaft and comprising a constricted portion surrounding said shaft rearwardly of said agitator, an intermediate portion flaring radially outwardly-from said constricted portion and enveloping the rear of said agitator and a cylindrical portion surrounding the periphery of said agitator and terminating in a substantially cylindrical free lip portion, a rear portion of said casing being perforated and said cylindrical portion being spaced radiaHy outwardly from the periphery of said agitator and being immediately surrounded by a free space for flow of Water in an axial direction both inside and outside said lip, said agitator comprising a disc plate, a plurality of blades on the front face of said disc adapted to create centrifugal currents flowingsubstantially radially outwardly in said mass of water contained in said tank upon rotation of said shaft and agitator and other blades on the rear face of said disc adapted in combination with said casing to create in said mass of water a second current directed by said substantially cylindrical portion and lip of said casing in a direction substantially perpendicular to said first mentioned currents, said second current inducing in the surrounding mass of water a third current flowing outside said lip in a direction substantially parallel to that of said second current, the conjoint action of said currents insuring a thorough and efiicient washing oftlinenplaced in said tank.

2. A washing machine comprising a tank adapted to contain a mass of water, a relatively long substantially horizontal shaft extending through one of the Walls of said tank, means for rotatably driving said shaft, a discshaped agitator secured on the inner end of said shaft and spaced a substantial distance inwardly from said wall, a perforate basket surrounding said agitator and rotatably mounted in said tank coaxially with said shaft, said basket having an end wall through which said shaft extends, means for rotating said basket, a casing inside said basket and coaxial with said shaft, said casing comprising an elongated constricting portion surrounding said shaft and secured at one end to said end wall of said basket, an intermediate portion flaring radially outwardly from the opposite end of said constricted portion and enveloping the rear of said agitator and a cylindrical portion surrounding the periphery of said agitator and terminating in a substantially cylindrical free lip portion, a portion of said casing rearwardly of said agitator being perforate and said cylindrical portion being spaced from the periphery of said agitator and being immediately surrounded by a free space between said casing and basket for flow of fluid in an axial direction both inside and outside said lip, saidagitator comprising a disc plate, a plurality of blades on the front face of said disc adapted to create centrifugal currents flowing substantially radially outwardly in said mass of water contained in said tank, other blades on the rear face of said disc adapted in combination with said casing to create in said mass of Water a second current directed by said substantially cylindrical portion and lip portion of said casing in a direction substantiallyperpendicular to-said first mentioned currents, said second current inducing in the surrounding mass of water a third current flowing outside said lip in a direction substantially parallel to said second current, the conjoint action of said currents insuring a thorough and efficient washing of linen placed in said basket.

5 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,129,128 Shainline Feb. 23, 1915 1,268,601 Nielsen June 4, 1918 2,680,367 Dougherty June 8, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 295,634 Switzerland Mar. 16, 1954 686,397 Great Britain Jan. 21, 1953 929,727 Germany July 4, 1955 1,144,868 France Apr. 29, 1957 

